This invention relates to the field of pallets, skids and other materials handling devices. More particularly relates to a pallet particularly adapted to the transport and handling of beer kegs.
Draft beer is marketed by brewers and distributors in generally cylindrical kegs of different sizes containing different quantities of beer. Among the most common keg sizes are those designated the "quarter keg" and the "half keg". In the past these have been handled or transported on conventional pallets with the quarter kegs arranged in an X-shaped pattern of five kegs per pallet and the half kegs arranged in a square pattern of four kegs per pallet. Since these pallets have conventional flat decks, the kegs tend to shift position during repeated handling at the brewery and at the distributor's warehouse, and it has therefore been standard practice to station workers at numerous points throughout the brewery and the warehouse to watch the handling of the loaded pallets and to continuously realign the kegs which are shifted. This use of hand labor to push, shove and otherwise manhandle the barrels in an attempt to maintain assemblance of proper positioning is extremely expensive, wasteful of manpower and highly inefficient.
In addition, the conventional pallets presently in use are themselves very inefficient. Being made of wood they are easily damaged and are very heavy. Further, their configuration and tendency to splinter make it very difficult to handle them efficiently on conventional roller conveyor systems. Again much hand labor is needed to keep these pallets from jamming the conveyor systems as they are moved through the brewery or warehouse.